


Waves of Change

by Bam4Me



Series: The Waves I Look Up Through [1]
Category: teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Also kind of Chris Centric, Everyone knows about magical creatures, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Mer!Danny, Mer!Jackson, Mer!Kira (half-mer!half-kitsune), Mer!Lydia Magical Creature Stiles, Mer!Sheriff, Mostly Stiles Centric, Werewolf!Derek, hunters are illegal, mer!stiles, merperson au, merrows are the cutest things ever, merrws not mermaids and mermen, very different look it up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-23
Updated: 2015-04-23
Packaged: 2018-03-25 09:42:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3805774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bam4Me/pseuds/Bam4Me
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Basically, a how it all happened story on how Beacon Lagoon turned from a quiet little place to a loud gathering of the best family in the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waves of Change

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so, as some of you from my tumblr(s) know, I’m having some financial troubles right now, and really need to move out of the town I’m living in. I’m physically unable to work at this altitude because of medical issues, and really could use some assistance. I’m pretty much desperate at this point.
> 
> I have three things right now though. One is a gofundme at (http://www.gofundme.com/y939hk8g) where you can donate. But, I’ve found that people with paypal are having trouble donating to it, so I found one that I’m pretty sure does paypal at youcaring (http://www.youcaring.com/ashley-white-389977) 
> 
> Now, since I’ve had a few offers, I’ve also made an amazon wishlist at (http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/?ie=UTF8&cid=A9UJHN6GUX2LD) if you would like to buy something that would help my stress levels instead. Or if you just get off on the idea of me getting off on something you bought me. That sounds like fun too. Anyways, my birthday is September 2, if you want to gift me with either money or fun, and I really would appreciate either.
> 
> Anyways, as repayment for the help (or fun) I have decided to offer in turn, fanfictions (or negotiable if you have another idea that I can go through with) with your choice of pairing, kink, prompt, fandom, everything within reason (nothing triggering, and nothing that I don’t know of.) If this is a bad offer for you, like I said, I can easily do something else if it’s also within reason.
> 
> Anyways, like I said, any help is appreciated.

So, maybe he should listen to Mommy a little more. Maybe the back edge of the boat is not to be played on.

Well, too late now. 

Scott grappled for the surface of the water, barely able to even tell which way was up, clamoring for the light before he ran out of oxygen.

Scott had just lost sight of which way he should be going when he felt arms around him, pulling him upwards sharply.

He broke the surface with a loud gasp for air, taking a moment before looking around for his mom. "Scott! Baby, it's okay just come to Mommy."

He looked towards her and into her arms from where they reached out for him. Once safely back on the boat he looked around, trying to figure out what had saved him while his mother sternly told him this was exactly why he shouldn't play on the back of the boat.

"Who saved me mama?"

Melissa's words were stopped and she looked down, catching sight of a pale figure swimming nervously just below the surface. Malissa stuck one hand into the water and made a pulling up motion, wordlessly telling the merperson to come closer.

The shiny pale head stuck out of the water and for a moment Scott was taken by the sight. He'd only ever seen a few merrows in his life, and now one had saved him!

"Hi!"

The merrow cocked his head to the side, giving him an odd look.

"I'm sorry, his English is not well yet."

They looked up to see another merrow surfacing, older than the child still looking at Scott. The child's skin was shiny, but not scaley, since merrows didn't get many scales above their tails, but he had little moles, dark against the rest of his skin, all over, making him look speckled and pretty. His tail was the same dark brown as his moles, still flickering nervously under the water.

"Does he understand anything?"

The merrow swam closer, making a soft chirping sound towards the other. The smaller made a few noises back and swam around him once, pressing himself into the older ones side, hiding from the humans gazes. "He understands plenty, but has never had reason to use his words before. He has issues with talking in human tongue."

Scott nodded and pulled away from his mom a little so he could look at the boy behind the other merrow.

"What's his name?"

The merrow made a puzzled face before turning back to the little one, "He does not have a name in the human tongue... But if he is to interact with humans, than he must I suppose. Since I was the one to name him before, I shall leave it up to him to find his own name."

Scott nodded, "Do you have a name?"

The merrow smiled at him, "I am called John, by humans. I am the leader of the meridian tribe and this is my child."

He made a few more clicking noises to the little one who looked up at him for a moment before giving a rather human sigh and swimming forward, coming to the edge of the boat again. He reached out and lay one hand on Scott's and clicked.

Scott couldn't understand anything he was saying, but didn't care.

"I like him, Mommy. I want one of him forever."

Melissa sighed and wrapped her arms around the little boy again, "Hmm, I like him too, Baby."

***

So, it turns out though they didn't have human names, they did have a clan name. "Stilinski. Odd name. C'mon, I know you can say it."

Scott had been trying valiantly to teach the tiny merrow to talk in English for a week now, and was succeeding with a lot of words. Well, little words. Bigger words were somewhat harder.

"Stil-sti-st... no."

Scott chuckled at the other child. The merrow was about the same age as him mind wise, despite being about twice his age already. Scott himself was only five, but it seems mer were much slower to mature. Scott stood up and called out for his mom, "Mommy! We needs help!"

Melissa stood up from where she was chatting with John and smiled, "What do you two need, Baby?"

Scott shook his head, "He's not getting it. Says it's too hard."

John made a clacking noise and swam around to the back of the boat that Scott and the child were playing on, "My child, nothing is too hard from you, why do you give up now?"

The child turned to him and dived forward, buring his head in John's stomach, tail flickering in frustration.

"He is fatigued. He will only continue to be surly and unpleasant if he does not sleep soon. We must leave now. He will be back later, well rested and ready to try again soon."

Scott yawned at the thought of his own nap and smiled, "Okay. I'll see you soon!"

The merrow looked back up at him and chirped, sounding happy but tired.

Little ones needed naps.

***

At the bottom of the oversized lagoon John tried to get his child to sleep, making sure everything was fine, laying him into the soft gravel at the lake floor, making sure he had his favorite moss rock nearby to play with if he woke up. But no.

No, no. That was not enough for his restless little sea crawler.

Of course, like most days, he found himself pushing the little mer into the gravel more firmly, chirping to him about how it's time for little ones to sleep and no questions about it.

No, like most days, he found himself curled around the boy, soothing him into sleep himself while his little one snoozed against him.

He was getting far too old to coddle little ones while they slept.

He needed to do something about this.

Maybe tomorrow, after his little one had a good rest.

***

John tried not to startle the humans when resurfacing this time, knowing it was probably futile anyways since his child seemed to not give a care in the world, swimming ahead of him, happy now that he'd had his rest. When he broke the surface he couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

Scott was jumping in his moms arms while she smeared him with that human protective stuff, sunscreen. John did not blame him, it did not smell very good at all. Scott was pointing to the water though, excitedly rambling about how he wanted to go swimming with his friend.

John swam up behind his offspring and smiled at them, loving the excited look on Scott's face when he waved.

Humans were easy and adorable to amuse.

Well, his humans were at least.

"Sweetie, I just have to go find your floaty arms."

"He will be alright without them. Could he not go in otherwise?"

She looked over at them and smiled, "I really wish I could, but he's just not got the hang of it yet."

John shrugged, a human mannerism he had picked up from Chris a while back actually, "Chris is human and says that 'flo-ties' only hold a child back. But he is your son and to be raised by you. I will trust in your judgement."

She raised an eyebrow, "Who is Chris?"

If John were human he probably would have flushed a little thinking about the human he was currently engaged in courting, but the look on his face was apparently enough, since it sent Stiles into a giggling fit at his side. "Chris is the human that owns the aquatics store on the deck of the side wall of the lagoon."

He pointed behind the front of the boat and Melissa stood up to see the store, tiny in the distance, but large and built into the wall of the lagoon itself. She warily wondered how big it was until she felt a squirming coming from Scott again. "Does he have kids?"

John nodded, "He has one daughter Allison, and she is a good friend to my child. She is an adept swimmer for a human, can hold her breath for long periods of time."

Melissa nodded and cautiously looked down at Scott, "I guess that floaties are not a necessity then..."

Scott cheered, looking excited and bouncing in his mothers arms.

"But, only if you stay with the rest of us. I don't want you getting hurt."

Scott stopped cheering and gave her an odd look before looking back to the water and getting bouncy again.

"Okay!"

***

The little bell above the door rang and Chris barely looked up from his laptop where he was trying to order new shipments right now. Him and new technology didn't mix all that well though.

"Welcome to aquatic necessities."

He finally looked up and couldn't help but smile at the young mother holding the hand of a bouncing child, looking way more excited than any kid going to the store with his mom should.

He helped the two of them find some things they apparently hadn't stocked up on before leaving their town and just couldn't keep himself from smiling. This child was so hyped up about something. It was cute.

"Um, mister?"

Chris looked up and hummed in question at the child, who was looking to the other side of the register.

"Why is there a trap door in your shop?"

Chris chuckled, "It's not a trap door actually. It's for the merrows. That way they can get to the store without having to strain themselves."

The child looked twice as excited now and for a moment Chris was worried he was going to hurt himself, before a knock came from the door. Chris paused in packing up the groceries and walked to the door, unlatching it and opening it up.

John was there with the younger mer again, grinning up at them, "Hi, John."

"Hello, I see you've met Melissa. She's very nice."

Melissa turned a little red and reached out to grab Scott's hand so he didn't end up vibrating right into the water in his excitement and smiled, "Thanks, such a nice introduction."

John nodded and let the younger mer go to the edge of the door so he could chatter up at Scott, and watched Chris go back to packing up the bags for Melissa.

"Was there something you needed, John?"

John shook his head negatively, "We were wondering if Allison was free to come play. She does so well in the water it is no hardship to watch her while you work."

Chris smiled and Melissa looked between the two, wondering if they both knew they were flirting, before smiling.

"Yes, Scott was wanting to go swimming too, so I'll help any if needed."

Chris just finished packing the bags and smiled, "I'll go ask if she wants to."

Like it was really any question.

***

Allison and Scott were taking to the little merrow like fish to water (and fuck all who do not laugh at this) and so it wasn't odd to see them all playing together by the next week, Scott taking to the water almost like he was actually able to swim a week ago, Allison showing him how to hold his breath when going under.

Kids are just so flipping cute. They need to stop that. It's making everyone else look old.

"So she goes to school around here?"

Chris nodded, sitting on the edge of the boardwalk in front of the store with Melissa and John swimming circles below them, "Yeah, went to kindergarten last year. Begged me not to go though, said that if the merrows didn't have so she shouldn't either. But the schools here are good, and she came home happy and ready to play afterwards anyways."

Melissa smiled, "I've been thinking about moving south for a while now. What further south than here? Besides, it's a nice town, still technically in the US so we wouldn't have any issues there. Besides, I just need to get away from Scott's father."

Chris nodded, "I can understand that. After my wife passed, I gave up our old life. My family was full of hunters."

Melissa gasped, looking disgusted. Hunters now days weren't all that uncommon, but they were usually illegal depending on where you lived. Now days all sentient beings were treated equally. If that meant giving each and every one a fair trial, that's what happened.

The town they were in here though, hunting was very much not allowed, "So you came here to get away from them?"

Chris nodded, "I didn't want my daughter growing up thinking that she's superior just because she's human. It's immoral."

Melissa nodded, "I don't want anything telling Scott that either. Maybe we might move down here. Hospital any good?"

Chris nodded, "Yeah? Have any reason to use it?"

She smiled, "Well Scott has pretty bad asthma, and I've been an ER nurse for a while now. So if they have any openings I'll see about applying. If I get an offer, why not?"

Chris nodded, "Sounds like fun."

"Mommy! Mommy!"

Melissa looked at the shouting child of hers and smiled, "What is it, Baby?"

Scott swam up, pulling John's child the whole way, making the merrow giggle behind his hand, "He has a name! He's found his name!"

John perked up and swam over to them with an excited look, "What name have you chosen, my child?"

He looked a little nervous as he swam in front of his dad, "Um... Stiles."

"...Stiles?"

The merrow nodded, "Uh-huh. Scott says it's good name for me."

John grinned widely and wrapped himself around the child, making him giggle and burrow into his arms, "This is an amazing name for such a perfect little one as you."

And so came Stiles, the most adorable little merrow to ever be. (According to his dad, who has decided that his little one can do no harm ever and is perfect.)

***

You know, everything kind of just went back to normal after that. Stiles had a name, Scott and Melissa were planning to get moved down to the town as soon as possible, and Allison had a new person to play with.

You know, until that one little thing that Chris has for some reason been overlooking for quite some time happened.

***

"What is it though?"

John cocked his head a little and pushed the tiny item further onto the boardwalk, "Um. Mossball?"

Chris nodded, looking at the little bright green thing with a smile, "Um, it's pretty?"

John rolled his eyes, "It's prettier under water."

Chris smiled, "Thanks. I'll put it in the tank in the shop. I'm sure it'll look great."

John nodded and pushed back from the edge, "Hope that works out then."

Chris turned his head up, bout to reply before stopping. John was already gone.

He shrugged and picked up the tiny mossball, wondering if there was some odd mer-reason he was being gifted it before smiling again.

Oh well, water or not, it was pretty.

***

"It's a very nice gift John, but I really couldn't accept it."

John rolled his eyes, "Yes you can. It can be made into something pretty for Allison. Or yourself."

Chris gently closed the bottom feeder after plucking the little blue pearl out, handing it back to John to let go of in the water, "You're right. How silly of me, I'll see if Allison has any use for it."

John just smiled and swam away.

Chris quietly wondered if there was a reason for all the gifts before heading back inside.

It was an interesting colour though.

***

"It's a very nice fish?"

John rolled his eyes, "I know it's a nice fish. I want you to have it."

Chris looked back into the tiny netted area that John had dropped the oversized rainbow fish into before getting Chris, "But why though? Doesn't he have a family to be with?"

John shook his head, "No... an octopus got into the lagoon last week. We had to toss him out, he was eating a lot of the fish that Stiles usually gets to first. But even Stiles never touches the rainbow fish. He likes them too much. I can't find any others right now."

Chris looked a little sad but nodded, gently pulling the net out of the water, "Anything specific he might need?"

John shook his head, "No. They like the mossballs though."

Chriss nodded, "Good, I have some of those then."

John just smiled up at him and swam away.

***

So, Stiles had new friends, John had another parent that he could talk to about children things, and Scott had a new place to look forward to moving to.

"So, are you stopping being mean to my father?"

Chris looked down in shock at the little merrow sticking his head through the mer-entrance in the store. "Mean? When have I ever been mean to your father?"

Stiles rolled his eyes, "He tried courting you, and he's still trying. But you won't say yes, so why not just say no?"

Chris nearly dropped the box he was carrying and just stared at the boy, "Um... I didn't know?"

"Oh... my dad likes you."

Chris nodded blankly, "I assumed that's what you meant."

Stiles nodded back, "Um... I go now?"

Chris nodded, "Um, yeah that might be a good idea."

"Okay." Stiles dived under the water and was gone in a flash.

"Okay then..." Chris set the box down on the counter and wondered just how one set about courting a merrow back.

***

"Stiles says that you have wishes of speaking to me."

Chris smiled at the mer and nodded, "Yeah... um so I have to admit something."

John frowned a little bit nodded, "Yes?"

Chris' lips tightened, "Um... Stiles says that you are trying to court me? But I had no idea..."

John looked a little shocked, "Have I done something wrong? I know humans have odd ways but I never thought I was out of place..."

Chris shook his head, "No, nothing wrong, I... I'm actually okay with it to be honest."

Chris got onto the floor next to the mer-entrance and sat on his knees, smiling at John.

"I haven't found anything wrong with you courting me, but I must say, humans are very different in how they do it with each other."

John made a thoughtful face, "Do humans not bring gifts to their intended?"

"Um... I suppose they do."

"Well, do they not spend long amounts of time with them talking and being together?"

Chris sighed, hanging his head a little, "Okay, they do that too, maybe I'm just bad at all of this."

John smiled at him, "If you were less bad at this, I would have my answer by now I assume."

Chris laughed, lifting his head again to look at John. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay, I would like to be courted by, and to court you."

John put both hands on the edge of the door, pushing himself just enough out of the water to press a kiss to smiling lips, "Okay then."

And so it was.

***

"So, is Stiles my brother now?"

Stiles looked up from the water he was swimming laps in, (okay, so they were tiny laps, and he was swimming them around his dad cause they were all inside the store right now) and smiled, waving at them all. Chris just smiled and waved back before going back to trying to smear his daughters skin with sun screen.

You would think a child who was born lower than the south in America would be used to the heat, but tell that to the sunburn on her lower back.

He sighed, giving up for the moment and dropping her to the floor, letting her run over to the door to get into the water with Stiles and John.

"Hmm, what do you think John? Are they both our babies now?"

John smiled and pulled Allison close for a hug, "Yes. She is my baby just as Stiles is yours."

Chris knelt down next to the opening and smiled when Stiles latched his arms around his neck and hugged tight.

"That means you're daddy now, and he's papa."

Chris smiled at him a little, "Why's that?"

"You can't both be called the same thing, and Allison already calls you daddy, so you're daddy."

Chris nodded and kissed Stiles on his wet head, ignoring the slick feeling under his lips. You had to admit, merrows and humans have very different skin textures.

It was good though.

"Don't lose my baby, bring her back before sun down so she doesn't die falling asleep in the water."

John nodded and leaned in to kiss Chris before ducking back, still holding the wriggling six year old in his arms, "Love you."

"Love all of you two."

When they left Chris momentarily thought about getting an employee or two so he could spend more time outside of the shop itself.

He really needed some help.

***

"Daddy? I don't get it."

Chris looked over at Stiles and Allison and smiled, opening his arms for the little ones to swim into, "It means that she has mer with her and they were all traveling together."

Stiles frowned, "I've only ever been on Scotty's boat before, and it was dry except for the pool, mer don't like dry."

Chris nodded and pointed to the tank sticking out of the top of the boat, "You see that tank? They're in there. They came all this way to live in the lagoon with us. They asked your papa for special permission and everything so that they could."

Stiles scrunched up his face comically, "Um... but what happened to their old home?"

Chris shrugged, "We don't know, Stiles. That's their business though."

Stiles nodded with an, "Oh."

Allison turned in his arms so she was facing outwards, cocking her head to the side, "Um, Daddy, I don't think their boat will fit in the lagoon. It'll take up too much room, can't swim after that."

Chris chuckled and swam a little closer with them to get a better look, "See, they've dropped anchor outside of the lagoon, they're not bringing the boat in, just the mer."

She nodded, "Is the boat staying?"

Chris shook his head, "No, the boat is only here to bring the mer and then is leaving again. This is their job."

"To transport mer?"

Chris nodded, "Yes. Only if they want to though. If the mer don't want to go, they don't have to."

The kids nodded, still looking at the boat, "What are they like?"

Chris hummed, "Well, your papa didn't tell me much, but it's a merrow and his kitsune wife. They have a mer for a daughter."

Stiles looked a little excited, "So, she's half kitsune and half mer?"

Chris nodded, "Yeah. Your papa says her tail is like an eels, so she tries not to get too excited. Gives people shocks."

Stiles nodded slomely like that was the worst thing ever.

To Stiles it probably was.

"So, if her mommy doesn't speak meridian, does that mean she has a human name too?"

Chris looked thoughtful, "I don't know, maybe she does. We'll have to ask her."

"Um, what's the boat opening his mouth for?"

Chris took a moment to wonder where Stiles had got that assessment from and try not to laugh, "It's not it's mouth, Stiles. The tank is opening to let the mer out."

The crane at the top of the boat went into the tank, slowly coming back out with two wriggling bodies in it.

Those were the mer then.

"Can we go say hi?"

Chris hummed a little, "Well, as long as you wait for me and Allison to get there to say hi too."

Stiles nodded and wriggled out of Chris' arms, swimming in circles around them the whole way.

"Hi!"

One of the mer looked up, a young one, about Stiles' age and with dark hair and black scales on her tail. The rest of her skin was smooth and pale, much like the mer next to her.

"Hi! You speak English?"

Stiles nodded and swirled around the two of them a few time, "Yeah. My friends taught me. I think I know lots."

She smiled and watched him swim.

"I'm Kira."

Stiles stopped in front of her, looking proud, "I'm Stiles! I named myself. Papa told me I could!"

She grinned and watched the others come forward, "I'm Allison. I'm Stiles' sister."

She grinned even wider, "That's awesome!"

Stiles made a face, "Awe-sum?"

Allison poked him in the side, "It means it's good. But better."

Stiles nodded and smiled again, "Okay. This is awe-sum then."

Stiles was very proud, he was making more friends.

***

Stiles was excited for the school year to start, not because it meant school, cause that meant less time for him to play with his sister, but because Scott and Melissa were going to be coming back then.

Right now they had to head back upstate to pack up their house and move it all down here.

Stiles didn't fully get why they had so much stuff, but it was okay, humans were weird and did weird things. It was like a requirement or something.

Stiles liked weird people.

***

"Chris! Chris open up, I need you!"

Chris nearly dropped the cans he was shelving in his scramble to get to the mer-entrance, opening it with a worried expression, "What's wrong, John?"

John slid up into the doorway, looking scared, "It's Stiles, he's sick."

John was holding the little boy in both arms, trying to keep the tired looking mer close while they spoke.

"What's wrong with him, John?"

John shrugged, "I have no idea, he is fine this morning, but now cannot even swim right. He fears he'll slip into the water and never resurface."

Chris tried not to show his own panic and looked around a little, "Deaton. I'll call Deaton. He always knows what to do with sick magical creatures."

John nodded, "Um, Chris?"

"Hmm?"

John looked a scared, "I'm fearing to let him go."

Chris' heart broke just a little, wishing he had some way to make everything better with just a flick of his wrist or a single word.

"Okay..." He looked around the store front before getting an idea, "Okay. We have blow up pools, I'll inflate one of those and fill it up, that way you and Stiles can come into the store and not dry up."

John looked a little nervous but nodded, watching Chris move around the room to set things up while he dialed the doctors number.

"...of course Deaton, thank you."

He hung up the phone and turned back around, "There's not much room in here so I'm going to put this outside before filling it up. Just bring him to the board walk and we'll get you guys in."

John nodded and before Chris could get the pool out the door John and Stiles were gone.

He grabbed a few buckets behind the counter and was out the door, "Okay, pass Stiles up to me and we'll fill the pool around him."

John nervously passed the mer up to Chris, letting him gently take the little body into his arms and set him into the soft looking pool.

They worked quietly, Chris talking into the merrows ear soothingly while he filled the pool with water around him, "Okay, the pool is full, maybe you should get in now, keep him close and all."

John nodded and used his arms to pull himself out of the water and onto the deck, getting Chris' help to get into the pool next to Stiles, curled up with his face hidden under the water like he didn't want to see anything.

John just curled up around him, keeping the mer from drying out in the warm shade of the lagoon wall while they waited for Deaton to get there.

It was far too long of a wait.

When Deaton got there Stiles was surly and didn't want anyone touching him, fighting against Deaton's gentle touch when he tried to look at him.

Chris had taken off his shoes and gotten in the water with them, pulling Stiles into his lap and holding him still with John soothing the boy at his side.

"I see someone is not very happy with whatever he's gotten into. Stiles?"

Deaton waited until Stiles met his eyes with a grumpy look, "Stiles? Have you gotten into something that you shouldn't have?"

Stiles made a chirping noise, trying not to reveal anything to Deaton.

"Stiles, my mother was half mer, I understand exactly what you say no matter the language you use."

Stiles whined and pressed back into his daddy, "Um... I get in trouble."

John looked shocked, "Why will you get in trouble, my sea star?"

Stiles whined again and tried futility to get out of Chris' strong arms. Nope.

"I... I went to cave again."

John gave him a look, "The cave Papa told you not to? The cave of green slime?"

Stiles looked away guiltily and nodded, "Yeah. It was weird and I wanted to see again."

John nodded and looked back to Deaton, "He has been swimming in infected waters."

Deaton nodded, "Yes he has. Don't worry, it's not poison, and it wont last forever. He'll just feel weak and sick for a few days. I suggest keeping him inside in a pool like this if you can. You never know what might happen if he got too weak to swim to the surface."

Chris and John nodded, looking relieved, "Anything we should look out for? Anything to give him?"

Deaton opened the bag he was carrying with him and pulled something out, "This is anti-contaminate. It will make his recovery faster and possibly make him feel better. I on the other hand am going to issue a formal complaint to City Hall asking for them to finally clean up that spill. It's finally starting to hurt people, and therefore needs to be dealt with before it kills someone. I suggest you both issue a similar complaint. Maybe it will finally be dealt with."

Chris and John nodded, "We'll get right to work on that. Anything else?"

Deaton nodded, "Do you have a thermometer that will work on a mer?"

Chris blanched, "As in, the ones that go in the-?"

"Yes. It is the only truly accurate way to measure a mer's temperature."

Chris made a face, "Yes, I have those in the shop."

Deaton nodded, "Good, keep his temperature below 70, if he throws up, call me. It's just his body trying to force out the infection any way possible, but it's still not good for him."

Chris nodded, curling around Stiles and moving to pour water over him, noticing him getting a little dry in his arms, "We'll keep him safe. Don't worry."

Deaton smiled, "I'm not worried. He's with his daddies and big sister. By the way, where is she?"

Chris pointed to the store, "She's in her room right now. Said she had some very important things to colour. I didn't ask questions."

Deaton smiled again and nodded, "Good. Keep them both away from that cave." He looked down at Stiles, "And you get better."

Stiles nodded weakly at him and slumped into Chris's chest.

"I don't like this."

***

The first night the little family spent all together was weird to say the least.

Actually, maybe John and Chris should just content themselves with sleeping apart for now, because having an oversized kiddie pool hanging out in the store front all night was very odd.

Well... It was more odd for Chris who was now answering questions to Allison on why she cannot sleep with them, and why they cannot stay forever.

These were not questions he'd ever thought he'd have to answer about his own mate.

If he had his way he'd never have to be apart from John, but life was funny like that.

The next day Chris woke up from a fitful sleep to go check up on his guests to find that Allison had beat him to it.

"Hey."

John looked up from where he was keeping Stiles' sleeping form wet on all angles and smiled, "Hello."

Chris knelt next to the pool and reached in one hand to run along Stiles' head, smiling when he pushed into his hand a little, "You ready to go back into the water?"

John made a nervous face, "But, what about Stiles?"

Chris looked over to the mer-entrance and smiled, "I have an idea about that actually."

***

It was actually lucky that his shop was for aquatics, because Chris didn't know of anywhere else in the town that had such big nets to be honest.

"Okay, so we just pin the net to the floor around the entrance and let most of it into the water, then Stiles can be in that for the day and you can go about your regular duties."

John watched him nail into the floor around the entrance just enough to hold the net into place and made a face, "My duties as father trump any other do you not think?"

Chris turned back and smiled, "I know that, John. But think of it this way, he will be well cared for by his daddy and big sister while his papa is out making the lagoon safe for all. Besides, I never get to babysit."

John warily looked over the edge and to where the netting had made a nice little nest in the clear dark water below and sighed, "I am thinking that staying in the shade will be keeping him cool, so I do not so fault, but he can sometimes get restless and make fuss."

Chris looked over at the snoozing mer and smiled, "Just let me and Allison worry about that. I had a very restless sister when we were little, I know how to entertain. And if not, I can always let Allison introduce him to the wonders of tv entertainment."

John scrunched up his face, "The magic box with talking pictures?"

Chris chuckled and nodded, "We also have a laptop and I think Stiles might enjoy that too. He's young, he might catch onto it a little faster than you."

John turned away, facing the ceiling, "I still do not understand it. It makes me uncomfortable."

Chris leaned over and pressed a wet kiss to the side of John's face, smiling at the fond reaction it got him, "You don't have to understand it. Just love it."

John nodded and waited for Chris to lift the netting for him to get out, waiting till he was in the fresher water again to help Chris lower the mer child into the net itself, making sure he was okay before leaving for the while, Stiles curled up in a little ball in the cool water.

***

"I don't get it though, don't the little people in the tv get tired of doing things?"

Allison shook her head, "They're not little people, Stiles. They're recorded people."

"Oh... what?"

Maybe tv introductions was going a little slow, but he seemed to like it at least.

"Stiles?"

Stiles looked up from where Allison and him were treading water, watching the small tv that Allison had moved into the store front and smiled, "Yes, Daddy?"

Chris grinned and knelt down, "Have you ever had human food? Your papa has, he likes it well enough, but I don't really hunt and all, and it's getting close to lunch time."

Stiles thought about it for a moment before shaking his head, "No, but Papa says that some human restaurants have raw fish so I don't think it would be too odd."

Chris made a slight face before smiling again, "Okay. Well not all humans like raw fish actually, but okay."

Chris left the front room with a smile, wondering if Stiles would like chicken. It's not too far from fish at least.

"Daddy!"

Chris stuck his head back out into the front room, wondering if they had a customer and he hadn't heard the bell. The room was clear though and Allison looked excited about something.

"Yeah, Baby?"

"Can Kira come into the net and watch tv with us?"

Allison pointed downwards and smiled, making Chris assume that Kira was probably below them right now. Chris nodded and motioned for them to scoot over so he could get one end of the net back into the water, lifting it back into the store when a black and yellow blur darted into the net.

"Hi, mister Argent! Can I play with Allison and Stiles?"

Chris nodded, "Well, since Stiles isn't feeling very well he's going to have to stay in the store for today, but if you want to stay with them that's okay."

Kira nodded and looked around, spotting the tv and letting out a happy chirp, "Oh! Mommy doesn't like me watching too much tv, says it's not very good for me. But I like it!"

She swam a few circles around Stiles and Allison before settling between them with a happy little sigh.

Chris smiled and left them to it, "Does your mommy expect you back for lunch?"

Kira shook her head, "Mommy and Daddy say I can stay out to play and hunt for myself."

Chris smiled, "How about I make lunch for everyone then?"

Kira beamed up at him happily, "Okay."

Chris left the room, wondering when the lagoon had become such a life filled place. He remembered when he'd just moved there and there were only him and Allison, John and Stiles.

Single parents tend to stick together.

***

"So, it's like... land fish?"

Allison laughed and shook her wet head, making Chris cringe a little when water went all over, "No, silly. It's a completely different thing entirely. Chickens are like birds. But they can't fly."

Stiles nodded, still not fully getting it. It was okay though, the land fish tasted very good.

***

"No beach, Stiles. You have water here to play in."

Stiles groaned and swam a few circles around his dad, "But, Papa, I want to play in the sand. The kind that you can mold into shapes because it's not underwater."

Allison made a confused face and tried to swim circles around John too, not quite able to go as fast as Stiles was though.

"Why do you not like the beach? It sounds like something kind of fun to be honest."

John looked up at Chris and scowled, "Well, I used to like the beach, but Stiles has issues with beaching himself and scaring humans. They try to help him and he yells until they stop. It is unwise and rude."

Chris frowned, "Um, what if me and Allison play in the sand with him? He sounds like he wants to build castles anyways."

John looked between the pleading children and his mate for a moment before sighing, "Might as well. Kira will be there with her mother as well. It would do well for him to be entertained while the whales are migrating. Last year he tried to follow them and fell asleep on the ocean floor. I did not find him for far too long."

Allison looked a little impressed while Stiles sheepishly hid in his fathers side. Chris just chuckled though, "I remember that. Don't worry, I'll keep him away from them."

The kids cheered and swam away, making towards the lagoon opening so that they could head towards the beach, already planning on making the worlds biggest sand castle ever.

***

So, the school year is coming and Scott is back...

"Are you okay, Allison?"

Allison looked down at Stiles and smiled, "I'm fine. I just don't want to go back to school."

Stiles frowned as if just remembering, "Oh yeah. School."

Allison sat up a little straighter, "It's okay though, you'll have Kira to play with and Daddy will get to make you lunch and stuffs. It's okay, Stiles."

John swam up to his little mer and wrapped him up in his arms, "You will be fine, Stiles. Kira is having her parents teach her. I could ask if they would be willing to teach you too?"

Stiles looked up dubiously, "Do I have to?"

John made a face, "It would be helpful, but I could ask if you could just come to some lessons instead of all. You do not have to do anything you do not want to."

Stiles smiled, "Okay."

Allison made a meeping sound, "Does that mean I don't have to go to the school too? Please? It's all the way outside of the reservation and in town, and the kids in town call me names and say I'm weird."

Chris came over and pulled Allison into his lap so he was hugging her as well, "Baby girl, Daddy needs you to go to school with Scott though. He needs someone that he knows, and lives on the res with him. I've been talking to Kira's mom and dad about finally getting a school set up for the kids on the res, but we don't have enough students to have government funding for a building and supplies yet, and without it's going to be a few more years still. I need you to go to school with him until you can go here."

Allison groaned at the idea, not wanting to in the slightest, slipping out of her fathers lap so she could sprawl on the boardwalk, slowly getting closer and closer to the edge until she slipped right off, making Chris yelp.

When she came back up though she still had the same look up her face as when she went under, groaning in dissatisfaction still. She slid her hand into Stiles and smiled when he started swimming with her away, pulling her.

"That girl is dramatic and she knows it."

Chris nodded, this wasn't the first time she had pulled that one.

"I have a fondness for these theatrics."

Chris just nodded again.

***

"I don't want to go to school, Daddy! It's smelly and everyone calls me 'fishy'!"

Chris stopped, trying his hardest to keep the little girl out of the water for once. She was in her new school clothes (to be honest, they didn't spend as much as most people on clothes, not because they didn't have it, but because her main daily wear was swim wear, and non-swim wear was for when they went into town) and her cute little backpack was stuffed full of supplies and snacks and a lovingly packed lunch. Chris just really didn't want her to go diving into the water to get out of it because it would ruin all her supplies.

Maybe she was right, humans are kind of speciest. They don't even make waterproof stuff yet. Sucky.

"But my jellyfish princess, it is important for you to socialize with people of your own species and to learn their ways. Besides, Scott is new in this school and will have no friends without you."

Allison looked over the edge of the boardwalk at John and frowned, "But what if I want to live with you guys for the rest of my life?"

John smiled, "Then we will welcome you with open arms, but it is better to know and not need to, than not know and wonder if you will."

Allison made a confused look at the expression and Chris chuckled at his mate's blunder of words before taking advantage of her no longer struggling to haul her up into his arms, walking the short two minute walk to the closest parking lot where Melissa and Scott were waiting to go into town.

"Thanks for bringing her."

Melissa shrugged, "Well, I have to go that way for work with Scott anyways. Besides, don't people in these parts help each other out?"

Chris smiled and nodded, "That they do. Thanks."

***

"I'm alive!"

Stiles laughed when Allison cannon balled into the water next to him, having stripped herself of her clothes the moment she set foot on the boardwalk after getting back from school. Chris just vaguely wondered when she had replaced her panties with swim shorts without him seeing.

Still wasn't wearing a top though. Never did. Said that if the mergirls didn't have to, neither did she.

Chris didn't see anything wrong with it. If mer didn't sexualize it, then she could dress however she wanted around them.

Scott ran out after her, laughing the whole way, "I gotta go get my swim trunks though, Mommy said not to swim without them!"

They nodded and watched him run off as well, going into a contest to see who could hold their breath the longest.

Stiles won, but Allison held out for a lot longer than Chris expected.

Yup.

Water baby.

***

So things were awesome. Life was awesome. Swimming was awesome.

What wasn't awesome?

This new mer that had come over in migration looking for a place to settle for a little bit with his friend and his parents.

His human name was Jackson.

Apparently his dad was human and named him before him and his mom got eaten by a whale.

Jackson was mean though.

His friend Danny wasn't though. He was nice and played with Stiles and let him blather on about things that he didn't really care for and helped him find pretty sea shells to take up to Allison for her show and tell thingy and he knew English.

Danny was awesome. Everyone loved Danny.

The best part though, they had shown up around the same time that renovations on the shack they were going to be used as a school building were being completed.

So three years in, Chris and John were happily making their relationship work much like Kira's parents were, and working on getting an adoption on each others children going, the school was getting ready to accept the mer as students and any other clan members so no one had to make that long drive into the town anymore, and Danny and Jackson were here.

But Stiles would be much happier if it was just Danny here.

Jackson was a meanie face. He had the personality of a giant squid. Thinks he's so special cause he's bigger than you.

Meanie face.

***

"So, are you two ready to be pulled out of the town's school?"

Allison bit her lip, knowing what Scott was going to say already, "Actually, I made a... lot... of friends at public school. I know you guys really wanted to get the school set up here for us, and we can still go, but maybe not right away?"

Chris held back a sigh. It didn't matter, he still had Alli and Stiles, Kira, Jackson and Danny.

He turned to her with an expectant look. She just bit her lip harder, one last adult tooth still growing in and a worried expression on her face, "I really want to, too, Daddy! It's just that I don't want Scotty to be all alone with the meanie faces at school. I know he has friends and all, but I just want him to be safe as well."

Chris really did sigh this time, "Okay, kiddos. You don't have to go. But if at any time at all you do, just say so. Maybe you two could just wait until you can drive, or use the bus by yourself to go to school here, then you can at least go see your friends without having to make a playdate."

Allison and Scott smiled up at him brightly, nodding.

***

"So I'm going to be starting at another school next year." Derek looked up in surprise at the ten year old, eyes going wide.

"You're moving?"

Scott laughed a little, "No. I'm not moving, I'm going to the school on the reservation."

Derek nodded, "Oh. I didn't know the reservation had a school."

Scott nodded, "Yup. It's only a year old though. Allison is going to be going too, she says she wants to be closer to her little brother."

Derek chewed on a piece of banana for a moment before talking again, "Are you, uh... are you going to visit the town and all?"

Scott grinned and nodded, "Yeah. Allison doesn't really like it here cause she doesn't like the people around town so much, but I have friends here... Like you."

Derek just smiled, flushing red a little before looking back down at his lunch. "That's good."

***

"Papa, I hate school and never want to go again."

John sighed and dropped further into the water from where he had been holding onto the boardwalk, watching Chris do some sort of book keeping or other. John didn't pretend to understand it though, it made no sense.

"Why do you hate school?"

Stiles scowled, "Because of those weird human symbols that they use."

John scrunched up his face in thought, wondering if Stiles was talking about letters. Stiles could read just fine though.

"Numbers?"

Stiles looked up at Chris and nodded, "Yeah, they're ugly and make no sense. Why would I even need to know these things?"

Chris thought it over before conceding, "Okay, I'll talk with Mr. Yukimura. Not all mer need to learn numbers if they truly hate it that much. But remember, some actual mer have become engineers and mathematicians, no he's probably just trying to see if you guys want to learn them too."

Stiles scowled, "What mer in their right mind would like math?"

He swam away, looking stressed and slightly annoyed.

Ew, math.

***

Turns out, the rude red tailed mer that had just moved into the lagoon with her mama liked math.

Ew.

She didn't have a human name yet, but she didn't seem to like humans much anyways, so she probably wouldn't have to have one for a while anyways.

She kept to herself and didn't seem to like others very much, so her sudden interest was actually a little surprising.

***

The new mer was minding her own business on this fine day, collecting sea shells that would go good as decorations in her tiny little cave that she had claimed as her own for sleeping on the edge of the lagoon, when she saw her.

The most beautiful person in all of the world, swimming along the surface. She was human, she had two legs, and human hair like the other humans did.

But she was beautiful as well. Her hair was so dark and long, and she was that weird human orange colour that mer didn't really seem to like all that much. But on her, it looked beautiful.

The new merrow looked around and found Stiles swimming close to her, his head above the surface and speaking in that odd human language. The new merrow swam a little closer, wondering if they would be mad at her for intruding. Stiles saw her though and stuck his head below the surface to click out a greeting to her, smiling.

The new merrow smiled back, taking the invitation to go above the surface.

She smiled at the dark haired beauty and clicked out a greeting.

She just frowned a little before shaking her head and smiling, "Hi! I'm Allison. Sorry, I don't understand any meridian though."

The new merrow looked around a little in confusion. She didn't understand the human words.

Stiles looked between the two of them, slightly panicked and clicked out a response to the new merrow, telling her Allison's name and that she didn't speak any meridian.

The new merrow looked a little degected at that though, looking around for a minute before looking back down to the shells still in her hands. She smiled cautiously and held them out to the human, staying still until the girl took them from her.

Making friends was fun.

***

Human magazines were weird. Why did humans have to cover their chest? Allison didn't, so maybe it wasn't a law, but the other humans that visited said she was inappropriate and that her daddy shouldn't let her walk around like that.

Chris got mad at those people.

"I've decided on a human name."

Stiles cocked his head at her and smiled, "What is it?"

"Lydia. It's pretty and I found it in a magazine."

"What are they talking about?"

John leaned back into his human's chest and smiled, "The new merrow has decided on a human name."

Chris wrapped his arms around the mer and smiled, nuzzling at his neck, "Oh yeah? What is it?"

"Hmm, Lydia I believe."

"She's picked a name!" John and Chris looked down at the excited Allison and nodded.

"It's Lydia. Go say hi."

Allison grinned and swam away to her and Stiles with a smile.

Human names aren't that bad, it helps you make friends.

***

Stiles was bored, Allison and Lydia were inseparable with Allison teaching Lydia English, Danny and Jackson were never apart, Kira was doing lots of classes with her parents. Hmm...

Stiles swam a lazy circle in the water, letting the weight of his own body drag him down under, lofitly floating, letting fish come up to him to inspect him before swimming away when he flicked his tail at them.

He was about to go find Chris and ask him if he could watch tv in the shop when he caught sight of something.

At first he thought it was a rainbow fish and was about to leave but curiosity got the better of him, making him swim closer to the edge of the lagoon.

That was not a rainbow fish, not by far.

There was a merrow, curled up just outside of the lagoon in the fine sand, napping in the current next to a group of sea stars.

Stiles swam closer, wondering if her parents where close by. He didn't find anyone though. He was pretty close by though, just on the edge of the lagoon himself, when the mer's eyes opened, looking directly at him.

The two mer jumped in the water, pushing apart from each other, Stiles out of worry he'd startled her and her looking worried and slightly fearful.

Stiles tried chirping out a greeting to her but it only made her look confused, cocking her head to the side and backing up a little further.

Stiles deflated and swam a worried circle in place, not knowing if she would still be there if he left to go look for an adult.

He clicked out a plea for her to stay in place with a hopeful look on his face, swimming backwards, getting closer and closer to the center of the lagoon and lost sight of her entirely over the edge of the lagoon rocks.

"Daddy, Papa! Something's not good!"

John turned to Stiles when he surfaced, worried for his little one at his words, "What is not good, Stiles?"

Stiles pointed in the water towards the edge of the lagoon, "There's a merrow outside of the lagoon."

John frowned, "Mer are allowed to leave the lagoon, Stiles-"

"No! She's not from here! And I'm... I'm not sure she understands me either."

Chris slid out of the water and onto the rocks him and John were treading next to, "What do you mean? I thought meridian was something you were all born knowing?"

Stiles shurgged, "Well, she seemed to know, um, what I was saying, but she didn't seem able to reply. Papa, you need to help, she looked really scared and she was no older than me and her family isn't anywhere around from what I can tell. I think she needs help."

John nodded at Stiles and swam off right away, worried that she might be gone by the time he got there.

Chris slid back into the water and held out his arms for the little merrow to swim into, holding him close while they made their way over to the edge of the lagoon.

***

The girl didn't want to come into the lagoon. John didn't dare come any closer than the edge of the lagoon though, worried it would scare her off altogether.

Instead he tried the age old parenting method of being nice and hoping for the best.

She watched the others swim and play from her place in the sand, low away from any others and quiet. For days she stayed like that, curled up at night and barely sleeping, watching.

For a while, John tried to give her her space.

Until he noticed it wasn't really helping any.

So after a long hunting trip he'd left a few fish next to her quietly napping form one morning before zooming off back into the lagoon.

He wasn't actually sure she'd been sleeping, but it was easy to let her think she'd fooled him.

He did that for a few day, noticing that she actually seemed to perk up a bit at the fish, whether it was because she seemed happy to be cared for, or that she was finally getting a sufficient amount of food now, he still wasn't sure.

He didn't mind doing it though. He loved caring for little ones, and she really needed someone to care for her.

***

When the girl finally ventured into the lagoon itself, she seemed timid and unwilling to talk to anyone. She steered clear of groups, and shied around single swimmers.

John was happy she was finally getting somewhere and didn't push it.

***

It was months after their first meeting that she finally showed interest in surfacing, and only at the behest of Kira, whom she had cautiously befriended.

Kira wanted her to meet her mother.

The merrow seemed okay with that. She even seemed to like the woman.

***

The new mer had human hair like Kira did, long and soft looking under the water.

But it was also matted and tangled, like it had gone far too long without being cared for.

She swam nervously a few meters away from Kira and Noshiko from where they sat, Noshiko mostly in the water while Kira floated in front of her, Noshiko's hands pulling a brush through her hair and talking, smoothing out her hair and making all the tangles go away.

It seemed nice.

She finished with Kira and looked over at the new mer girl with a smile, "You know, I wouldn't mind doing anyone else' hair as well."

She looked at her, biting her lip with dull human like teeth that she must have also inherited from her family and looked away nervously.

She didn't though.

Not for nearly two weeks actually.

The next time that Kira had been getting her hair groomed by her mother though, she thought about. She didn't remember much from her family, but she did remember that.

Soft fingers working the knots out of her hair, making her calm and soothing the hair into a managable style.

She missed that.

"Oh, I see you want your hair fixed too?"

She nodded from where she was nervously floating in front of Noshiko, hoping she was still offering.

She was.

It was as calming as she remembered too. Feeling a person with hands so gentle, not letting the hair pull at her scalp as she worked knots out, smoothed the hair until it shone flat and smooth in her hands.

When Noshiko was finished she ducked under the water before Noshiko or Kira could complain or ask her not to, bringing up her hands to run through the hair, marveling at the way it fell from her fingertips and didn't catch once. It was something she had also missed.

She shot back out of the water where Noshiko was wrapping everything back up in a waterproof pack and getting ready to leave, wrapping both arms around her waist and holding on, smiling into her stomach.

Noshiko paused, not expecting this in the slightest. She smiled down at the girls head, which seemed to have much less volume now that there wasn't hair sticking every which direction, and reached down to return the hug.

Yeah, she missed being around others.

"Malia."

The word came out broken and kind of shaky, but it had never felt so right.

She missed people saying her name too.

***

"What's that?"

Scott looked up from his place on the sand and looked surprised, "Stiles, doesn't your dad say to stay away from the beach?"

Stiles shook his head and pulled himself further onto the sand, still not close enough to inspect the item in Scott's hands, but closer. Scott rolled his eyes and slid down next to him, "Papa says I can be on the beach if I am with someone, and here you are."

Scott laughed and made himself a nice spot in the heated sand next to Stiles' tail. "Right. Because I live over here you know."

Stiles nodded at the twelve year old, "Yes you do. What is that?"

Scott held out the device and smiled, "Don't get it wet, it'll die if you do."

Stiles' eyes widened and he looked at the little box from all angles, "It is alive? How? You were poking it an awful lot, and shook it a few times too. Is it okay? Do land creature like being shaken?"

Scott chuckled and took it back, "No, I meant that it would die like how if you put the tv in the lagoon it would die."

Stiles looked a little sad, "Oh. It is an e-lec-tron-ic then. Useless things. Only good for watching tv on. I did not know they came so small though."

Scott chuckled and shook his head again, "It's not a tv, it's a gaming device. Like the x-box that you and Allison have, but smaller, and everything you need to play is in one place."

Stiles took the gameboy back and looked it over again, poking it in some places before shrugging, "I do not like it, but I might if you teach me how to use it."

"Scott! Your mom made us some snacks. Oh!"

Stiles and Scott looked up to see Derek (well, Scott knew it was Derek, Stiles didn't yet) coming towards them with a nice looking picnic basket and sunscreen in one hand. "Thanks Derek. This is Stiles, the merrow I've been friends with for the past seven years now."

Stiles giggled into his hand when Derek went a little red and handed Scott back his gameboy, scooting down the beach till his tail was in deeper waters. "Are you the werewolf?"

Derek sat next to Scott in Stiles' old seat and nodded, "Yeah. My mom is the town's alpha."

Stiles cocked his head to the side a bit, "My Papa is the leader of our clan. We do not have fancy human words. Sorry."

Derek smiled at that and opened the basket, "Scott's mom made snacks, do you want to stay and play with us?"

Stiles looked between them warily, "Will Scott teach me how to play the game?"

Scott nodded and handed him back the gameboy with a smile, "Yeah. It'll be fun!"

***

A few hours when John came to gather his wayward son from the beach shore while he dozed, far too warm for John's liking to be honest, and Scott sleepily followed Derek into the house, red with a slight burn and being poked at while he grumbled, Stiles couldn't help but think those games were fun.

***

"Are you and your mom getting the boat in the water this summer?"

Scott looked up from where he was poking at a hermit crab he'd found on the edge on the boardwalk and shrugged, "Probably. Your dad said he wouldn't object to me and mom inviting Derek and some of his pack members out to the lagoon for a month or two. I mean, it's not all that long, and they can just hop on the bus to town if their family wants them back for something."

Stiles smiled, "Cool."

Scott frowned, "I didn't think you liked the boat though."

Stiles shrugged, "No, not the boat much, but whenever you guys bring out the boat, Papa brings out the inflatables, and those are fun. The inflatable pools can hold water and float at the same time, it's awesome."

"So why not just ask your pops to bring them out now?"

Stiles shrugged, "I don't know, he said something about traffic issues. I'm not sure what cars have to do with it, but I didn't feel like asking."

***

"It's my birthday, it's my birthday, it's my birthday!" Stiles watched with rapt interest as Allison spun in a circle on the deck, teetering closer and closer to the edge with a smile before plunging right into the water itself.

Allison was awesome.

"Does Daddy and Papa have a party planned like last year?"

Allison shook water out of her eyes and nodded, "Yeah. Some of Scott's friends from the town are coming down, and Kira and Lydia and Malia are all coming to it too. Danny is probably gonna force Jackson to come, but Jackson is a downer and boring, so it's okay if he doesn't."

Stiles nodded with a grin, "Yeah. He's icky algae worms."

"Yeah."

***

"The kids could come by any time."

John made a disappointed clicking noise and pressed closer to his mate, "But we never have time to ourselves."

Chris faltered at the pout the merrow was sending his way, "Well... Noshiko said she was going to watch them for the day."

John grinned at him, those cute pointy teeth shining bright in the dim light of the little cave they were in. It was more than endearing.

His mate was the cutest thing ever.

***

"Stiles is getting older. I fear one day he might feel old enough to look for his mate."

Chris leaned into John's side and frowned, "Um, compared to a human, how old is Stiles?"

John thought about it for a moment, wondering that himself, "Well, from what I know, humans are twice as old as mer, so... nearly ten."

Chris's eyes went wide, "Huh. I never realized. It does make sense though. He's still so little."

John nodded, "Yes. Allison will always be older than him. Though Lydia is much older than him already and would make a perfect mate for her."

Chris paused, "...Lydia and Allison?"

John sighed, "I know from our own blunder with courting that you are not very good with telling, but Lydia has been courting the girl for some time now."

"Lydia and Allison... Lydia, and, Allison. Beautiful miss Lydia and our baby girl Alli?"

John sighed at his mates slowness and nodded, "Yes."

Chris nodded back, "Oh. This will take some time to process."

"I think you will be just fine."

"Hope so."

***

"I don't see why I have to wear a shirt out of the water at all."

Chris's head thunked against the wall in the store with a sigh, "Baby girl, you're taking high school classes now, and some of them are in town. You need shirts because sometimes you have to go into town for things. None of the other girls there don't wear shirts."

Allison rolled her eyes, "That's stupid. Boys are allowed to walk around without shirts on."

Chris nodded and went back to stacking some boxes, "Yeah, but society as a human is a weird thing. Until the day that you can walk down the street in full clothes without me worrying about someone hurting you for being female, you should keep clothes on in public. Sweetie, I don't do this to annoy you, I do it because I understand how awful humans really are and don't want to give them any reason to hurt you."

Allison sighed and nodded again, "Fine. But don't expect me to fit myself to those awful standards here at the reservation."

Chris turned to her with a grin, "With the way you're excelling at that archery class and with the fact that I grew up in an illegal family of hunters, I'm sure you can kick any ass that tries to harm you either way."

"Why would you let me kick their ass here and not in town?"

"Because it's easier to hide a body when you're next to a large body of water and have a bunch of merfolk on your side."

"That's an awful way of thinking of things. I like it."

***

"Oh Chrissy!"

Chris' blood froze in his veins at the sing-songed voice calling out to him cheerfully.

"Who's that?"

Chris heaved himself out of the water before turning back to John, "Get everyone and move them to the other side of the lagoon. Don't come near the shop for a while."

John's eyes widened and he looked a little fearful, "Who is she?"

"My sister. Knowing her, my dad is probably nearby too. Like I said before, I grew up in a family of hunters, I don't want them anywhere near you and Stiles."

John nodded and darted off.

Chris stood up with crossed arms and walked to the end of the boardwalk to get to Kate first before she could get past him and into the store.

He didn't trust her for one single second.

"Kate. What are you doing here?"

She grinned at him, looking anything but innocent. "Oh Chrissy, you always act so suspicious. Can't I just come see my brother and niece?"

He shook his head, "You saw her once, a week after she was born and not once since. You have no right to call her that. Blood doesn't mean shit so don't try that either."

"Oh come now, me and Dad have missed you since you ran off to swim with fishies. We want you to come home."

"Are you stupid? Like, seriously, have you hit your head on something?"

She sputtered, not expecting the venom in his voice, "No, what's that about?"

"I've been living here for the past thirteen years. This is home, so first of all, don't say that home is anywhere you're at. You lost that privileged when you and Dad killed my wife after she got bit. Or have you conveniently forgotten about that?"

She bristled, looking offended, "In case you forgot, she killed herself."

"Because you and Dad threatened her that she would either do it herself or you would do it for her. She did it because she actually had dignity. Unlike either of you."

Kate shook her head, looking fond in the most infuriating way possible. Chris hoped she'd at least get to the point soon, because he was itching to shove her under the water right now.

"Fine. I guess I'll just have to tell Dad that you can't be bothered to let us see his granddaughter."

"Good. Because I won't."

"Fine."

***

"She is trying to use the human law to get custody of Allison?"

Chris looked over at the mer door in the shop and frowned at his mate, rolling his eyes, "It's not going to work, every single law she's trying to pass makes it impossible to get her, but she's trying. I think it's some sort of scare tactic. Maybe she's just trying to let me know that she can try, see if it scares me any. It's not going to work. Besides, Allison is sixteen, which is above the age of consent to live with whom you choose in the US. It won't work."

John swam in a small tight circle, looking nervous, "Why do you not sound fully convinced?"

 

Chris shook his head, "No, of that I am fully convinced. But, I'm just trying to figure out what she's playing at."

"Oh. If she goes near Stiles I will not hesitate to protect him. I do not care that she is your sister, if she tries anything on anyone in this lagoon, I will not be held accountable. Literally, the law applies to merrows in different ways, they would never get me."

Chris snorted, smiling a little, "Sure. Of course not. In fact, if she goes anywhere near Stiles or Allison, I'll gut her myself."

"No, if you do that you'll be arrested. Let me."

Chris sat down next to the opening with a weary look and leaned in, kissing John, "I've always wondered, what do merrows do when they think or know another mer is being abused?"

"They kill the abuser."

Chris blinked, "Little harsh, huh?"

John gave him a deadpan look, "We do not get many mer that abuse."

"What about mer being falsely accused?"

"Too late, dead now."

"Huh... guess that sounds about right."

"The sea is a much less forgiving place. We must do a lot to survive."

***

"What are you doing?"

Stiles jumped in the water for a moment, the quiet air around him broken by the sudden words of Malia sneaking up behind him in the mer door for the shop. "I... have a thing on the computer."

Malia's tail swished under the water shiftily, "A thing? Kira's told me a lot about computers, I'm sure I will understand."

"It's a blog. You write things and put pictures and people can read them and comment on them."

"What's it for?"

Stiles shrugged, "Fun I guess. There are many funny things."

Malia nodded, "Oh. That's cool."

Stiles shrugged and looked back at the screen, clicking on the little message box with the number above it. He had a message.

"What?"

Malia paused from where she was reading over Stiles' shoulder and made a disgusted face. "Why does this person want footage of you putting things in your cloaka?"

They both jumped when they heard a crash coming from behind the counter and suddenly Chris appeared behind them gently taking the laptop from the confused merrow.

"You know what, just let me deal with this for you, okay? You really don't need to deal with stupid idiots who don't know their place."

Stiles and Malia gave each other confused looks, and Stiles vaguely wondered if his daddy was losing his mind.

Probably.

***

Allison grinned when Stiles brought the waterproof camera up, talking her picture while her hair waved out behind her. Lydia snuck up behind the teenager and slid her arms around the teen, making her jump a little in the water before turning to grin at her.

The three of them broke the water's surface and Stiles make a grossed out face when Lydia pressed their mouths together. Ew, kissing.

"I missed you."

Allison grinned and pecked the mer on the cheek, "Sorry, Scottie dragged me into town to go to some party the werewolves were throwing. Boring."

Lydia smiled and nipped at Allison's neck, making the girl turn red a little. Stiles watched Allison's eyes get bigger in that weird human way and looked down at Allison's neck to make sure Lydia hadn't broken the skin. Merrows had sharp teeth.

There was no blood though and Stiles' attention was quickly drawn away when he saw something shiny on the other side of the lagoon. He darted off just in time for Lydia and Allison to lose patience and start making out. Just as well.

***

So, seeing people from town wasn't all that odd. For one, the lagoon was right next to a beach, and even though it wasn't exactly a public beach, it was still open to the public unless said otherwise. So the lagoon was no stranger to random people from town coming though to go to the shop for beach supplies, or campers or people blowing through town on a road trip coming in for food restocks.

The one thing that Chris wished he didn't have to deal with though, the teenagers from town coming by to gawk and catcall the merrows, because apparently since they don't wear clothes, it must mean they're just begging to get stared at.

Not his clan though.

Chris rolled his eyes and stomped over to the teens in question at Allison's annoyed look, "May I help you all?"

The 'gang' leader sneered at him, "No thanks, old man, we're good."

Chris nodded, "Okay, may I ask you to stop staring and yelling at the mer, it's scaring them a little."

He turned back to him and crossed his arms, "Like you could do anything about it anyways."

Chris pursed his lips, looking slightly pissed now, "Right, because it's not like the lagoon is a reservation for the merrows and their clan or anything."

"Yeah, we know how that goes, we get kicked out and make a fuss about how you were doing stuff too and you go with us."

Chris rolled his eyes, "Funny, but I live here too. Besides, I'm the the head of the clans mate. You have no more legality here than any other guest."

"We ain't causing any trouble here, just relaxing and enjoying a nice day at the lagoon."

Chris nodded and turned to the crowd of playing teens, "Hey kids!"

They all swam over warily, "Yeah?"

"Are these guys bugging you?"

Stiles scrunched up his face in disgust at the boys while Malia growled at them, sounding kind of vicious about it too, "They keep calling us human insults and saying we're cross-species scum."

The teens all looked vaguely impressed that the mer could even understand English, much less speak it.

"Yeah, that sounds about right for police charges I'm thinking. So maybe you guys should just head of now while you're ahead so to speak."

They just continued on looking cocky and displeased, "I like it here though. If the waters weren't so infested it might even be a nice place to swim."

Stiles' hand shot out of the water and he waved it around a little, looking like a kid in school. Stiles has been watching too much tv.

"Oh! Mister Daddy! I have an idea!"

Chris raised an eyebrow but nodded, "Okay, what is your idea?"

Stiles swam a little higher, looking smug for some reason. "Papa says that if you take your claws and put one hand here-" he put one clawed hand on his stomach on the left side, "and one here-" the other joined it one the right, "and dig in real deep, and pull your hands together, it's a really good way to make a fishies innards come out fast."

He nodded matter-of-factly and smiled. The teen around him built up a slight chatter, talking about their own experiences with this method while Chris just smiled at his baby, proud of him.

"Really? Why would we want to do that, Stiles?"

Stiles grinned at the wary looking teens and moved closer to the edge, "Papa says it's hard to talk with your insides falling out. Maybe it will make them stop?"

Kira looked excited for a moment before lifting her enough to be seen above the water, "Wait! My tail is good for things, things like electrocution! I once barbecued a fishy cause I didn't want to eat it raw. It gave it a nice even cooking too."

Stiles bounced a little in place, "Oh! I love cooked meat!"

The main teen turned to Chris with a slightly green face, "I think we're going to be going now actually. My mom said to be home by four."

Chris just smiled politely and nodded back, "That might be best."

***

The lagoon was growing, and Chris was okay with that. The more people showing up, the happier everyone seemed.

He watched out the store front door as Stiles swam around Malia and Kira, giggling about something while the merrows laughed at him. Allison was tangled up with Lydia in one of the inflatable pools floating on top of the lagoon, water spilling over the sides while they curled around each other tiredly. Jackson was quietly smiling at Danny while he spoke with Noshiko about a computer that was sitting on the boardwalk.

John swam near Stiles, looking like he wanted to grab his baby and keep him out of trouble, a normal reaction to his little one causing a fuss, and Chris just grinned at his mate's reactions.

He thought after his wife died that he wanted a quiet life with nothing interesting happening ever again, but now he couldn't imagine a life where he didn't hear young voices yelling across the water, and Allison and Stiles demanding treats for being adorable, John dragging him off to quiet little alcoves for heated kisses, and talking with other parents about their babies and how to make the lagoon safer for them.

Everything was perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so, as some of you from my tumblr(s) know, I’m having some financial troubles right now, and really need to move out of the town I’m living in. I’m physically unable to work at this altitude because of medical issues, and really could use some assistance. I’m pretty much desperate at this point.
> 
> I have three things right now though. One is a gofundme at (http://www.gofundme.com/y939hk8g) where you can donate. But, I’ve found that people with paypal are having trouble donating to it, so I found one that I’m pretty sure does paypal at youcaring (http://www.youcaring.com/ashley-white-389977) 
> 
> Now, since I’ve had a few offers, I’ve also made an amazon wishlist at (http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/?ie=UTF8&cid=A9UJHN6GUX2LD) if you would like to buy something that would help my stress levels instead. Or if you just get off on the idea of me getting off on something you bought me. That sounds like fun too. Anyways, my birthday is September 2, if you want to gift me with either money or fun, and I really would appreciate either.
> 
> Anyways, as repayment for the help (or fun) I have decided to offer in turn, fanfictions (or negotiable if you have another idea that I can go through with) with your choice of pairing, kink, prompt, fandom, everything within reason (nothing triggering, and nothing that I don’t know of.) If this is a bad offer for you, like I said, I can easily do something else if it’s also within reason.
> 
> Anyways, like I said, any help is appreciated.


End file.
